Starts With Goodbye
by DamageReport
Summary: I'm beating the hairballs out of him the moment I see him!" That's what he gets for leaving her.
1. Chapter 1

_Yay!!!! New story. I've decided that this will be multi-chaptered. Not exactly sure how long, but it's going to be longer than two chapters. (Yay for me for making a commitment.~) It might be slightly angst-y because my Pandora is playing "Starts With Goodbye" by Carrie Underwood. (It's going through a rough time, my Pandora…) I think that'll be my title. Because of the title, I think I'll make it after Ikuto leaves. Also, Amu is only two years younger. Why? High-school boy + Elementary girl = 16 in prison. Thinking about a time skip….._

**Disclaimer**: I own Shugo Chara. What? I'm not allowed to say that if I don't really own it? Which douche made up that rule? The copyright office? All right, I guess…

**Starts With Goodbye**

Amu wasn't exactly sure what to think at this exact moment. Sad seemed appropriate, but this was for Ikuto. She wasn't allowed to feel sorry for herself. She had to support Ikuto no matter what. He deserved that much at least. Settling for contented loneliness, she turned on her Pandora. Typing in Carrie Underwood, "Starts With Goodbye" popped up. How appropriate. Ikuto's last words to her.

_Amu looked up to Ikuto's forlorn eyes. "How long?" she whispered._

_Ikuto seemed to think about this. Probably didn't want to make any promises he knew he couldn't keep. "As long as it takes," he quietly declared._

"_Then go. I know how much this means to you. I have no right to stop you from doing something that has been decided long before you had me to interfere. Just know, I'll be living my life. I won't wait for you, but don't think I'll won't be thinking about you, that I'll forget you. So go find your father."_

"_If I return, will we still have a shot at this? I want to go knowing that we could _have_ something." Ikuto asked._

"_You know that's unfair to me. We had a pact. No promises we knew we had no control over. The only way I could guarantee you something like that is if you never left." Amu knew that she was about to cry. But she wouldn't do that to Ikuto. Leaving was already hard enough for him._

"_Then I guess our lives after Easter starts with goodbye." Ikuto turned away and Amu followed suit. Now she knew she was crying. Allowing herself one last look back, she saw nothing but an empty street. That was the last straw. Amu broke down right there.  
_

It's been five days, thirteen hours and forty-six minutes since that last conversation. Amu functioned like normal. She kept going to school, ate and slept like a normal person. But she couldn't remember the last time she laughed, _smiled._ She was going to tough it out. She survived before Ikuto complicated her life, she was going to do it after he picked up and left.

With that, Amu stood up, closed the current Pandora station, and opened her Lily Allen station. To heal, you needed to get pissed right?

_A/N: I know. What's with the American/British music? The thing is I don't know many Japanese songs. And the ones I do know, lets face it, I have no idea what they're singing about. So let me pretend that its Japanese. Other than that, tell me what you think. Yes, you can even flame. Now, about that time skip......tell me what you think.  
_


	2. Chapter 2

_Yay! New chapter. None (one) of you talked to me about the time skip, so I'm going to write one more chapter before I go ahead and manipulate time. (Because I'm cooler than god like that.) This is like the filler before the real stuff. I need more ideas before I can write it out. So this is like a side story, except that it's not. Leave me a comment on how you think it should be continued. I don't want it to be the clichéd "falls in love with someone else" or "waits for him." I need something original. You can even anonymously review. I don't care. I want ideas!! Since probably none (one) of you will reply, I'm going to blackmail you. I won't make Ikuto come back until I get awesome ideas. There will be updates, but they WILL suck. _

_Side Note: I only added sometihng at the end I left out.  
_

**Disclaimer: **You know, I actually like saying that Shugo Chara! doesn't belong to me. THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE! (Fave it if you love the truth.)

**The Second**

_Today is going to be a good day. Today is the day I be myself again _Amu thought to herself. It was the first day of senior year. She was going to reinvent herself. She was going to change her image, like that fateful day six years ago, when she discovered her chara eggs……

Of course she thought about Ikuto all the time. She just wasn't going to let her memories of him hinder her life. Amu had also been avoiding the Guardians. They reminded her too much of Ikuto. But she had made plans with Rima today. It was all going to change.

Amu bit back a laugh as "Paper Gangsta" by Lady Gaga came on. **(A/N: You can talk to my Pandora again.) **She had nothing against Lady Gaga, but she was just so original in the predictable music business. The more she thought about it, the more that Lady Gaga seemed to be the most suitable role model for her. If you look past the outrageous outfits, she was the best person to model herself after. She doesn't care what other people thought of her. She does what she feels expresses herself best. _She is true to herself. _Which is more than Amu could say about herself right now. Or ever before. She was such a "Lovefool*". So scared of judgment. Afraid to be true to herself. Now with her chara eggs gone, she wondered if she ever would.

Shaking those thoughts loose, she picked up her bag and walked out the door. After all, life doesn't stop just because she wanted it to. And for the first time, she was glad.

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Amu strolled into the now-quiet classroom. What else could she expect? She had been alienating people all vacation. That was okay. She still had the Guardians. They were always there for her. She wasn't the type of person who needed a lot of friends, just ones that cared.

"Hey, Rima. Are we still on this afternoon?" Amu timidly asked.

Rima rolled her eyes. "Of course. You think I'd bail on you?"

"Aww, Rima, don't guilt-trip me. I'm working on it. I'm actually kind of okay with it now. You know, the leaving, the abandonment, the heartbreak…."

Rima shot Amu a look worthy of the hitokiri*. "Now who's doing the guilt-tripping? You look fine enough to joke about it now."

"Told you I was dealing with it, right?" Amu winked and smiled at her petite but tough friend.

Rima rolled her eyes yet again. "You better go sit down. Class is about to start."

"Anything for you, Rima," Amu quipped and headed to her seat.

_**Six and a half torturous hours later**_

_**(Three guesses how I feel about school.)**_

"So where are we going?" Amu stretched her arms over her head, secretly resenting the teacher who had assigned all that math.

"Away from school. I swear those teachers are heartless alien robots from the sun," Rima complained. "There is no other explanation to why they're so evil."

"Then let's go to my house. Ami has preschool now and mom and dad aren't home. We could relax. I haven't been able to for a while now, for obvious reasons." Amu looked troubled, but that faded quickly, Rima noted.

" 'Kay, but let's borrow some stand-up comedies on our way home. I haven't had the time lately. Let's get _Allegedly. _I heard it's really good, but really raunchy. Perfect." Rima still hadn't gotten past her obsession with comedy, it seems.

Amu laughed. People really don't change Amu thought. She just hoped that held true to Ikuto.

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"Oh my gawd, if I don't wake up with sore abs tomorrow, the world is not real. That was the funniest show I've ever seen. Good pick, Rima," Amu noted.

"I know what you mean. That woman is my favorite." Rima acknowledged. "I'm hungry now. What've you gone to eat?"

"Nothing," Amu admitted. "Let's go get something to eat. My treat."

"It better be. I'm broke. I spent it all on new books."

"Not the educational kind, I hope," Amu reprimanded. "You know how I feel about that."

Rima smirked, "Of course not. Who do you have me confused with? The class prez?"

"Not right now. Let's go get some ramen."

"That was delicious, but I can't believe that Utau would eat that. It's just so……._manly_."

"That was what the other customers said. She even had my bowl." Amu thought back. "All of the people in the ramen shop where middle age men staring at Utau. But she continued eating her manly ramen. I miss her….."

_Ikuto, _Rima thought_. It always goes back to Ikuto. _Rima glanced over Amu, expecting her to be broken down, but all Amu looked like was thoughtful.

"I miss him, you know," Amu whispered. "I sometimes wished I stopped him. But then I remember all that he's given up for me, and I realized what I realized then. I had no right. Sometimes the thought of him breaks my heart, sometimes it makes me smile."

Rima smiled. Amu really was going to be fine. There would be pain of course, But Amu could deal with it. "Come. I'll reward you with some ice cream."

"Hey! You said you were broke!"

"So I lied."

* * *

And fade out.

Yay! Another chapter finished!! Remember, ideas!

*A side story if anyone can guess the artist of the song.


	3. Chapter 3: the real one

_Ehmahgawd!!! I cannot believe I messed up the bad. I replaced the wrong chapter and lost chapter three. I apologize about my colossal screw-up! I knew I should've backed it up. I can't believe myself. I also can't believe no one even told me about this. I am so embarrassed. Feel free to kill me or something. Wait until I finish this chapter first though. Thank goodness I checked back on something while writing chapter four. Well, enough wallowing. On with the time skip._

**Disclaimer**: Fools! I don't really own _Shugo Chara!_. MWAH-HAH-HAH!!!

Amu collapsed on the couch, not even bothering to kick off her shoes when she stumbled into her studio apartment. Her tired sigh marked the end of her first day at work. Resting for a few seconds more, Amu pushed herself off the couch and went to get ready for bed. Best not take a bath, she thought, I might fall asleep. Today had been productive to say the least. She must have reviewed 120 drafts and selected the best ones for the next round. It was boring work, but that was expected with the entry level at which she had gotten the job. Oh well. Nothing time and a few promotions couldn't fix. The pay was good, so the only factor even worth complaining was the tedium. That, too, did her some good she supposed. It kept her busy and left her too tired to really dwell on certain things…..

As Amu flopped onto the bed, she cursed herself for picking such a demanding and boring job. She could've been a talent scout like Yaya, own television production company like Rima, or a pop star like……never mind. She didn't have the voice or even the face to be a successful singer like Utau. Kukai was a professional soccer player. (No surprise there.) Nagihiko was a voice actor, known for his versatility and the boundless roles he would take, male or female. Tadase had the easiest job of all. He was the headmaster of their old school. They practically paid him to sit in the planetarium sipping tea playing the mysterious pretty boy. (Maybe she was a teeny tiny bit jealous….she had always wanted to sip tea for a living.) As Amu drifted to sleep, she did what she did every night. It was almost force of habit now. She thought of Ikuto and willed him to come back.

Two months later, nothing had changed. Amu still stumbled into her apartment feeling like she had run nonstop all nine to five. She wondered if it was too early to use her vacation days. Amu thought about it and decided no. She had already been promoted twice in the time she had been employed. She worked so hard, they no longer had anything for her to do for about a week. She deserved a vacation, damn it! She had no doubt that the rest of her friends could get away. It wasn't soccer season right now, Nagihko was taking a break and Rima was her own boss. Yaya could get away on the pretense of "talent searching". Tadase could use some beverage other than tea. The only problem was Utau. She was an international pop star. Though you never had to really had to convince Utau to take a break. _I'll talk to her manager; I'll let her know how "worn down" she looks _Amu thought. _It's a plan. We could all use a little break. I'll call them tomorrow._

"Utau? Did I tell you yet how much I love you and the fact that you're a pop star?" Amu asked.

"No, but you might've mentioned how much you love the pop star villa," Utau laughed.

"You can't really blame me. When she saw this villa, Rima considered changing jobs. _Rima!_ Who's practically married to her company!" Amu shouted.

"Shut up, idiot. You're twenty-three. Stop acting like a teenager. And while you're at it, stop screaming. We could hear you all the way outside." Rima scowled her way inside.

Amu smiled brightly and gushed, "Oh, Rima! I knew we had this bond, but I never imagined that you could feel it too! I thought it was all in my head. To think you heard my voice in the distant driveway. Come here! We must have a celebratory hug."

Rima blanked and ran off before Amu could reach and glomp her. Kukai, Yaya, Tadase, and even Utau laughed at the craziness of their friends.

They smiled as Amu pretended to chase Rima and Rima run off with a look of terror. Amu chuckled and went to find her room as Rima ducked behind Nagihiko.

"Is she gone?" Rima whispered after a safe amount of time. The scene wouldn't have been so comical if not for her look of fear, the loudness of her stage whisper, and the fact she was crouched behind Nagihiko's legs.

"Impossible for her to be gone if she was never here in the first place. She didn't even try to attack you," Nagihiko informed her, looking bemused.

Rima frowned, smacked him, and muttered, "If she never even came fore me, why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried to, but you just looked so adorable crouched over in fear, I forgot." Nagihiko chuckled and walked off, leaving behind a red-faced Rima.

The rest of the group burst out laughing, but suddenly quieted, staring intently. Tadase, unnerved about the intense silence, walked off awkwardly. About the same, Amu bounced down the stairs and towards them. "What are you staring at?" she asked hungrily. No one answered, so she followed their gaze. Soon, she got the idea and was sucked into the Rima-Nagihko vortex.

Kukai broke the silence with a bet. "I give them two days before they wake up in the same room alone."

Yaya disagreed, "Yaya thinks that they'll be in bed by day four."

Amu pondered, "One day."

"Two days before we leave," Utau calculated. "Bet?"

"Bet!" the three of them answered in unison.

Tadase chose that moment to finally come back into the circle. Hearing the last part, he headed over disapprovingly. "You guys are betting again? I thought the last time taught you better."

Amu snorted, "It obviously didn't. Besides, it's the same condition every time: the winner gets a favor from each loser."

Tadase looked this close to rolling his eyes. "Exactly. Need I remind you what happened the last time Rima won a bet? Every one of you ended up taking topless or pants-less photos of yourselves but leaving them in the booth."

Now it was Amu's turn to roll her eyes. "Not like we put our faces in the photos. We had more common sense then that. So there was no harm done."

Tadase shook his head slowly. "We really need to work on your gambling problem. I seem to recall a certain one of Utau's concerts in Las Vegas. Didn't you lose all you're gambling money but didn't want to stop, so you started taking other's tokens? Which wouldn't have been a problem if you hadn't been so drunk and therefore messy."

Amu looked clearly irritated right now. "Fine, so I gambled there. Last time I checked, that's what casinos are for and Vegas is full of them. At least what I did there was better than what you decided to do there."

"Tadase blushed red and looked away. The others practically were trying to drill the answer from Amu's smug little head. He gave defeat and walked away, leaving the rest dying with curiosity. What did straight-laced Tadase do in Vegas that wild party girl Amu could hold against him?

Amu looked satisfied as she said, "Leave it. He's bound to piss me off sooner or later, so you'll know then."

They all frowned but left it at that. As Kukai, Utau, and Yaya went to pick up their luggage, Amu sincerely wished that Tadase wouldn't ride her. The only reason Tadase couldn't use That Incident against her was because he thought that she either didn't remember it or didn't care. Either way, it would be very bad for her if any one found out or if Tadase blurted. Which was very possible. That boy couldn't hold his liquor. Amu wished she could just remove it from his mind.

Well, they were there to have fun, and damn it, fun they will have!! They all deserve it. (Except for Tadase. The only work he ever did was running to the bathroom. He learned that caffeine made you pee the hard way.) Amu let the slip from her mind, kicked off her shoes and ran into the surf.

_The end of this chapter. You like? As always, comments are appreciated. Extra points if you validly insult my writing._


	4. Post Screw Up Chapter

_Yay!! That lazy Report finally managed to drag herself away from her stupid life to write another chapter. I know. I think it's been three weeks since I updated. Anywho, this chapter is almost so boring, I think I should be lynched just for even thinking of it. I can't help it. I don't plan on making Ikuto come back for a few more chapters. If I bring him back, it's basically the end, because the whole story is about him. I'll try to make it at least a little interesting. How about a plot twist? Double update to make up for the chapter three screw up. Oh, and a luv_ () got the "Lovefool" thing by The Cardigans. So that means the next chapter will be a bonus side story. Ideas are always welcome. Right now, I'm at a crossroads between how Amu and Ikuto met (my style, which just means one/both of them were drunk.), the missing two months, or the prequel that mysterious night to Vegas. (If I gave the Vegas thing away, I would have no subplot.)_

**Disclaimer:** It's still official. _Shugo-Chara! _belongs to Peach-Pit.

A week into the vacation and two more days to go, the group of friends decided to cut loose and do whatever the hell they wanted. That meant waking up wasted and settling the bet among the group. (Utau won, naturally.) It was just one big party. Everyone was always hungover. But no matter how much they threw up, all were dreading leaving. They had eliminated a lot of stress, and watching Nagihiko and Rima act awkward and nonchalant towards each other was always a laugh. This meant that they were all either partying, vomiting, or laughing. Save for two of the members. They could replace the last option with something a bit more _suggestive. _Though they would never ever admit it. Whatever. Amu found it more fun to just tease them about it.

It was time to leave. Part of them was glad to be back to work and not be wasted every second of the day. When Amu echoed this thought aloud, a murmurs of agreements were heard around. For a reason. They were all so hung over that their light-sensitive eyes were covered by big sunglasses.

"You know, I haven't even gotten a souvenir yet," Nagihiko lamented.

"Oh, sure you did. It might take a while to show up though. Wait nine months and the literal bundle of joy will arrive," Utau smirked.

Both Rima and he looked away, surprisingly absorbed in how the sand arranged themselves at their feet. Kukai, Yaya, and Amu nearly guffawed themselves to suffocation. Between huffs of laughter, they all suggested how it was the gift that kept on giving or _producing,_ how they would need gifts for the gift, and finally how Rima's going to need to carry around a bucket. Tadase looked on in disapproval. The last memory of their trip ended with Rima acting hormonal and throwing suitcases at the laughing cast. It seemed as if Utau was far from wrong……

"……and I'm back," Amu muttered as she entered her apartment, dropping clothes and suitcases along the way to the bathroom. Entering said room, she noticed something was off. Pinning it on her hangover and lack of sleep but surplus of alcohol consumption, she drew a bath and stayed there until she woke up. Amu dried herself off and got dressed for bed, keeping in mind tomorrow was her first day back at work. Even so, that didn't stop her from checking her TV recordings. As Amu fell asleep, the details of Daisuke's love confessional fail were fresh in her mind.

Amu woke up the next morning wondering why she had a compelling urge to give someone named Daisuke girl advice. She didn't even know a Daisuke…..except for this one copy boy. Amu decided to help him with his problems later. She got dressed, ate breakfast, and was out the door before eight-thirty. She had a poor boy's love life to help.

Entering the publishing house building in which she worked, Amu went to seek out the copy boy. Finding him, Amu patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Girls need personal space, too. Daisuke, and presents won't make every problem disappear."

Amu walked off, leaving behind a very confused young boy wondering why the pretty senior was telling him this. By the wrong name. The only solution his mind came up with was that Hinamori-san finally figured out his feelings and felt the same way. Daisuki's naïve face lit up with excitement, determined to ask her out by the end of the day. Company gossip told him that Hinamori-san didn't have a boyfriend. In fact, there was no gossip whatsoever about her love life. She had male friends come in when she got promoted, but they gave off a really friend-like feeling. Even though they were really attractive. When he saw her with her whole group of friends, he swore that they looked like a movie scene. Even though one of the girls had covered her face entirely, he had a feeling these people were in some sort of attractive people only group. It made him nervous to ask Hinamori-san out, when she had such attractive people to compare him to. His nervousness only fueled his determination. Hinamori Amu would have to clue what hit her. (Somewhere, Kukai, Tadase, Utau, Yaya, Nagihiko, and Rima were sneezing.)

Indeed she wouldn't. At that moment, Amu was in panic mode. During her trip, one of the stupid and irresponsible interns had mixed up the drafts. She had sent the wrong article to publish, and by next week, the whole world would think that the peanut butter plan was a diet that made you lose weight like crazy. That idiot sent the cooking magazine article to the fitness magazine article, while not sending anything at all to the cooking magazine. Someone was going to lose their head for this, and Amu hoped that it would be the intern. And that it was going to be bloody.

She spent the rest of the day sorting out the problem. Though she couldn't recall the article, she had found a solution. Thank god for that foreign prankster day, April's Fools. And the month April. And the fact they printed the cover last. All Amu did was add a few words to the cover, announcing that one of the articles in the issue was a hoax. Some people might not fall for it, but it should be pretty obvious. Who would have fattening recipes in a fitness magazine? Having spent the whole day dealing with the crisis, Amu was spent herself. She decided to pick up some ice cream on her way home as a prize for a job well done.

As Amu walked down the steps, that Daisuki boy stopped her and pulled her aside to say….

"Hi-Hina-Hinamori-san, I-I ha-have a question for you. Will you go out with me?" he managed to blurt out.

Amu stared for a few seconds, thought about it, and finally said, "Not a very good delivery. Work on that. And the stuttering isn't doing you any favors. I'd give it a five. And don't use a line on any girl ever again."

With that, she walked off, leaving behind a very confused copy boy. What was she supposed to do, accept? Amu knew he had love issues, but not about her. She didn't have it in her to break the young boy's heart, so for now, she would play ignorant. Good thing Amu still had some of the "cool and spicy" attitude left.

Existing the building, she brushed up against a man. Just as she was about to apologize, she heard him murmur, "So cold, Boss-san."

Amu whipped around, surprised at the voice she thought sounded _so _familiar. But too late. He was already lost in the crowd. Amu turned around slowly and walked back to her apartment, shaken and in a daze. It was probably a hallucination, but that hadn't happened in years. Amu thought back to the time he had just left. She was seeing him everywhere. Rima and the rest of them were so worried, they almost had a doctor prescribe her narcotics. She refused them naturally, and with time, the hallucinations stopped and Amu readjusted. The pain faded, and now it was only a constant twinge in the back of her mind. Not to be misleading though, Amu thought. She was still going to beat the hairballs out of him the moment he stepped back into her life.**(Fave it for violent reunions.)**

Stopping by one of those 24-hour places, Amu set her mind to picking an ice cream flavor. Caught between cookie dough and raspberry, she eventually settled on the latter. If she was going to indulge, she could at least fool herself into thinking it was somewhat good for her. After paying for it, Amu strolled out with a spoon in her mouth, feeling pretty good. Until she bumped into a rather tall person. Amu's spoon dropped out of her mouth while trying to apologize to the rather tall lady. She nearly dropped her ice cream when the lady turned around.

"Nagihiko!!" Amu shouted. "I thought you were a woman! What a fright."

"Am I supposed to be glad I still get mistaken for a girl?" Nagihiko deadpanned.

Amu responded sheepishly, "Well, yeah. You did it for years. So you should be proud. But if you even resemble a man, at least cut your goddamn hair! Gosh! It's so long, you would think you'd want to be mistaken for a woman."

Nagihiko looked iffed. "Never mind me. What are you doing here so late at night? With ice cream, no less."

Amu suddenly looked tired. "Big day at work. One of the stupid interns messed up the articles. I had to fix everything. Then a stupider copy boy asked me out. I played it safe and pretended to be dense. Anyway, since you're already here. Come and eat this with me."

Nagihiko looked panicked. "No thanks, I really need to go back to……uh…….sleep."

Amu cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, sleep. I'm sure _that's _what you were planning to do. You can call her on the way. You don't have to come. Only if you want to be saved from tortured for the rest of your life."

"What kindness," he muttered.

"You bet your ass 'what kindness'. Would you rather I text everyone right now. I'm not afraid to fabricate a few things too. A few incriminating facts…."

"I've texted her, so let's go already. Where are we going, anyways?" he asked.

"We are going to my place. It's about a block away. I think you've never been there before, right?"

Nagihiko shook his head no. Amu exclaimed, "All the more reason to go!"

Amu started to drag Nagihiko to her apartment. He just looked wary of her. Knowing Amu these past few years, she was going to get them into trouble. An drunk. Somehow, she was going to get them drunk. With a sigh, he sent another text, telling Rima he was going to have to get drunk with Amu and not to wait. It was going to be along night. Especially with the way Amu practically ran to her apartment. She was having some sort of mental break down inside.

Walking inside, Nagihiko noted the abnormally plain apartment. Commenting, "You've been her how long and you still have managed to decorate, let alone make a mess of the place?"

"Well, I've been busy," Amu drawled. "We all can't pretend to be women for a living, can we?"

"Voice actor," he gritted out. "For the last time, I'm a voice actor."

"Okay, gosh. No need to PMS on me. You fully need to take a pill. Now, don't make that face at me. You know I'm joking. Get some spoons and as soon as we finish this, you can go back to 'sleep'." Amu chuckled at this.

Nagihiko obediently went to do as Amu told him. Throwing a spoon at Amu and frowning when she caught it, he sat down and plunged his spoon into the container and stuck it into his mouth. Instantly his face puckered and he only managed to sputter out, "Why the hell would you pick such a sour, unmanageable flavor that was never supposed to enter a mouth?"

Amu looked surprised. "Really? It tastes fine to me." Amu stuck another spoon spoonful into her mouth.

Nagihiko shook his head again, half in sickness, half in wonder. He would never understand how Amu could eat all these extreme flavors. He also wondered when Amu would break out the booze. It won't be long now.

Sure enough, halfway through the container, Amu managed to conjure a bottle of sake seemingly out of nowhere. He accepted the glass Amu handed him with a nod of thanks and downed it. Amu did the same. They drank in compatible silence, with Nagihiko knowing Amu would tell him sooner or later what was bothering her.

I thought I saw him," she finally said. "Well, heard him at least."

Nagihiko looked confused for a few seconds. Then it clicked. "When?"

"After that little boy confessed to me. I bumped into someone, or did he bump into me? I'm not sure. Anyways, it was after I turned that boy down, and it was probably the confession that brought back memories, but I could've sworn I hear him tell me how coldly I turned him down."

Nagihiko deliberated, still fully sober. (He could say the least for Amu.) "Maybe he really is back."

Amu drunkenly waved his suggestion off. "If he really came back, he would've told me so. And if he didn't, I'm hallucinating again."

They continued drinking until the silence was once again broken by Amu. "What a jerk, you know. Seven years. It's been seven years and not even a sign he might be close. It's kind of pissing me off. If I didn't just drink about half a bottle of sake, I would go out and buy a gun and hire a bounty hunter. I mean, how long does it freakin' take to find one insignificant man?!"

Nagihiko nodded, wondering how long Amu would take to spill out all her frustrations. He knew she had been suppressing her emotions on the subject for years. She needed to yell about something.

"You know what the sad part is?" she continued. "Everyday that I wake up, I think that it's going to be the day I finally get a clue about him. Every day is a raging disappointment. It's a wonder I'm not addicted to any illegal substances yet. Thank Kami-sama I don't know any dealers."

Nagihiko nodded and poured more sake for them. It was going to be a long angry, tirade-filled night he thought as Amu took the entire bottle and took a long swig.

The next morning Amu woke up as if she had drank all the alcohol Japan ever produced. Today was so not going to go her way. She could tell by the way her head pounded and the way her mouth tasted like sand.

"You're up. Hurry up; you're almost late for work." Amu jumped, startled. Who was in her apartment? She was greeted by a fresh-as-always Nagihiko. She now had a vague understanding that she was drinking last night and Nagihiko was somehow there, but other than that, Amu was drawing up a blank.

Amu ventured, "What did I do…..?"

Nagihiko ushered her out of bed. "You ran into me. Dragged me over for ice cream. You got drunk. The rest is not worth mentioning."

She had a memory now, which made her laugh, "Oh, your face when you ate the ice cream. I wish I had the foresight to take a picture for Rima."

"Hung over out of your mind and still able to remember the stupidest things," he muttered, "Last time I go drinking with you. Now got take a bath and sweat the alcohol out. You need to get ready for work."

With a last laugh, Amu went as told and headed to the bathroom. With her occupied, Nagihiko took out his phone and texted someone, telling her what had happened and with instructions to talk to Amu. Someone had to talk to that girl, and she was just too crazy for him.

_I know, nothing really happened in this chapter, but I want to move on to the side story. Guesses for who he texted? Whew.. It's my longest chapter yet. _


	5. Sidestory

_Oh-Em-Gee!! It's my birthday today!! It's December 12__th__ and I am officially one year older. I'll probably post this tomorrow on Sunday when I finish. Maybe not. So this is the side story that I promised the scant few of you who read my miserable writing……..this is your cue to tell me uplifting crap. Or not. Don't mind me. I'm just an attention whore. That's why I'm demanding that you wish me a happy birth date, or recommend some good music. But whatever you recommend, do not give me rap. Or you could do something for yourself for me and BEG BEG BEG Heartbroken Confession not to quit FFN. You would totally love her and it breaks my heart that she's quitting. She is the most original, side-splitting, mood-improving, kind, thoughtful, hilarious, __**random **__Gakuen Alice ff writer I've come across. (No offense to the other equally talented writers I've come across, but you're not quitting.) Check her out either ways. She's not taking down her stories, and they're definitely worth a read. Some people are bitches, and maybe if you can show her how kind you guys are, maybe she'll stay. *Here's hoping~*Whatever you decide to do, I'll be happy. Now on with it!_

**Disclaimer:** Li'll ole me don't own nothing except her li'll ole plot. Otherwise, me will be sued eight ways to Sunday while it's Tuesday.

* * *

**The Side Story**

Tadase speed walked his way to class. He didn't want to be late and break that perfect, shining, impeccable, wonderful punctuality record, as Amu called it. Albeit sarcastically. **(A/N: Me again. Sorry about this stupid interruption, but I just realized that I was talking to Shugo Chara! people here when I was talking about Heartbroken Confession. Well, just replace the names in your head when you read. It works out either way.)** Amu, Tadase thought, was too reckless these days. No perfect, shining, impeccable, wonderful punctuality record for her. Every time someone tried to talk to Amu about her paryting, all they ever got out of her was, "It's college life right? If you're not hung over, you're not doing it right." Rima would then contest that it was life, and if you were hung over all the time, you were definitely doing it wrong. Amu would then mutter that she was passing all her classed and that was all that mattered. Utau (who would join the interventions occasionally) would retort barely, and that was only because she was a hot, loose, party girl and all the professors and nerds were pervs. Amu would then thank Utau for calling her hot and stomp away indignantly. Ah…the circle of life. Someone really needed to take a steamroller to that circle.

Just as Tadase was thinking this, his eyes caught a flash of pink hair stumbling along in front of him. Tadase exhaled. It was nine in the morning and someone was just getting home. Someone had to save her, and since it was just him, he would have vomit duty for at least an hour. Bye-bye perfect, shining. impeccable, wonderful punctuality record. He was going to be late.

"Amu," he shouted as he took her arm and hled her up. "Come one. It's the bathroom for you."

Amu groaned. Where was this loud girly boy voice coming from? It sounded strangely like the Prince of Tennis…or that Vampire Knight chick. The one with the hair….and shoes. And why would she go to the bathroom with him…her? That would juts be wrong…..or….right? Oh, she was so confused….or hung over. One of those two. But definitely hung over. Amu squeezed her eyes closed and wished the hot vampire/ochibi would go away…with no avail. The next thing she knew was that she was being dragged to some god-hating place. Why was this stranger dragging her? Oh my gosh.. he could be a rapist. And in broad daylight. Why was no one saving her? Maybe he knew mind control! He freakishly mind controlled everyone to let him rape her!! It sounded like a good time to scream now.

"AAHHHHHH!!! Crazy brainwashing freaky mind control rapist!!!! AAHHHHHH!!!"

"Amu, are you still drunk? Why are you screaming? There is no rapist. It's Tadase." Tadase explained slowly.

"Oh," Amu opened her eyes. "Heh. I totally knew that. I was just testing you. And you passed! Good for you. You are now a….certified rapist!"

Seeing as she had yelled the last part, Tadase had every reason for flushing the brightest shade of red as people started hooting and laughing. "Stay away from my girlfriend" was the most heard call-out.

"Oops."

"Damn right."

"……To the bathroom then?"

"You got milk?"

"Yeah….it's about two weeks expired though."

"Good. You'll be drinking that."

Amu blanched, "WWWhhhhaatttt!!!! Ttttaaaa-dddaaaa-SSSEEEEE!!! Why are you doing this to me??? Is it because I gave you your rapist liscence? Because I can totally take that back! It's not official since you didn't rape anyone yet!"

"What are you talking about? You need to throw up the alcohol. Spoiled milk will do that for you. But take back that rapist license. Like I'll ever use it." Tadase frowned at Amu. That girl had the imagination of a drunk. Even when she was completely (maybe) sober, although hung over.

"Let's go," Tadase breathed. Curse, curse, CURSE the person who introduced vodka to Amu. She complied, letting him drag her to her apartment…knowing there would be no raping since he lost his license. Good for him.

A while later and quite a few toilet flushes

"Wow…that really works. You know, even if it tasted really disgusting. You should try some."

"No thanks. I have no need to get freakishly hung over that I would suddenly need to drink expired milk in order to fix myself. Now go take a shower. No offense Amu, but the boys' locker room smells better than you."

Amu looked offended, thinking she didn't actually smell that bad. So she smelled herself, wrinkled her nose, made her "agreeing" face, and got up and ran herself to the bathroom.

Tadase sighed, for what seemed like the uptenth time since he saw Amu. He took out his phone and dialed his "Nee-san's" number.

"This better be good, Tadase. I just finished a concert and have another one in four hours. And if I don't get my sleep, the concert will majorly suck and I will have to kill you for ruining my career. And who would want that?"

"Sorry, Utau," Tadase managed to whine while apologizing. "But it's about Amu. We need to distract her from something."

Utau groaned, "I swear Tadase, if it's just some shit cover over some crazy scheme to get Amu to forget Ikuto and fall in love with you, I will not forgive you this time."

"Utau! Don't ever bring that up again! That was three years ago."

"Uugghhhh…fine, fine. Make it quick."

"You know how Amu is a drunk right?"

"Obviously, but what does this have to do with my sleeping?"

"Do you have any ideas on how to distract her long enough so that she doesn't destroy her liver?"

Tadase waited and waited, but when he heard the water turn off he started panicking. "Hurry up, she's almost done!"

"Okay, okay. How about this. Send her to my concert over in America. You guys are done with your exams, right?"

"Good idea! As far as I'm concerned, Amu is apparently done with everything. And passing, but that, I am sure, is mostly due to the large population of perverts here. But…..once the rest of them get a hold of this information, they'll want to go too…."

Tadase could practically see Utau's scowl over the phone. "Fine. You can come too. I'll have my manager arrange it and send it over to you when she's got all the details."

"……So….where is this?"

"Tsk. Ask for a favor and don't even have the decency to keep track of my tour. Shame on you."

"Just tell me where it is."

"It's this stupidly bright city in the middle of a desert. From what I've gathered, people here like to marry spontaneously and throw their money away gambling. Called Las Vegas."

"Never heard of it."

"I'm not surprised. So young and inexperienced."

"Be quiet. I'm not so inexperienced when you count the number of beds I've gotten into," Tadase bluffed.

"Let's see…..you're mother's, yours, and you once sat on Amu's bed…You're right. That's too much experience for your age. Stop sleeping around, you man-whore! You are ruining the statistics for boys your age around the world by making everyone look like a man-whore like you! And it's just one person doing all this work!!"

"Just send me the information when everything's set."

"Got it, you smoldering, womanizing man-whore. See you there."

"Why are you all red and angry looking, Tadase?" Amu padded out the bathroom looking halfway decent for someone who was throwing up her stomach barely ten minutes ago.

"Never mind that. Utau just invited us to one of her concerts."

"Ooohhh…it's been forever since we saw her. I think the last time was when you tried (but failed) to seduce me," Amu laughed at that memory.

`"Will everyone just stop reminding me how much I fail at being cool. Utau just said the same thing and she's twice as mean, so you can just stop reminding me now."

"Fine, but why is Utau _inviting _us? That last time we had to blackmail her to even let us in."

Tadase was visibly sweating now. "I don't know Amu. Maybe she's trying to get us to do her a favor."

"I'll buy that. It does sound like our Utau."

Tadase breathed out his relief. Thank the gods that Amu was never hard to convince once there was something fun in store for her. He could tell that she didn't fully believe him, but she wouldn't pick at it anymore than she had to.

"How long are we going to stay there? I'm guessing about one and a half days. Half for the for the concert, half for whatever, and another half for Utau."

"Okay. I'll call everyone and tell them about it. You should get to class Tadase. Thanks for taking care of my drunken self."

"How about you? You're barely passing as it is."

"Toady is free day for me. I finished all my credits."(**A/N: Do they do it that way in Japan? Tell me in a review if you know.)**

Tadase looked incredulous. "How is that even possible? You hardly show up to the classes and don't even get me started on the amount of work you do."

"I may not go to my classes, but I do finish all my work. And if I can't, someone is always willing to help me."

"Amu! Cheating is not appreciated by myself."

Amu rolled her eyes. " I don't copy them. I ask them for ideas or just information. I'm not that intoxicated all the time. I have my standards." She leveled him with a stare.

Tadase blinked. "Sorry, jeez."

"That's better. Now go to class. And call me when Utau sends you the information."

"Fine. Call you later then."

Amu ushered Tadase out the door and quickly slammed it back into its original position. She needed a nap, but before that, she really needed to brush her teeth. Vomit really does wonders for your breath, she thought wryly.

After about half a tube of toothpaste, Amu could taste her breath without starting to vomit all over again.

"They really need to invent something to make your puke taste better," Amu chuckled to herself. "I could go bulimic if someone doesn't stop the horrible cycle."

Climbing into bed, Amu sat up again. She had to tell the rest about Utau's concert. Picking up her phone, she dialed Rima.

"How's it going, Amu?"

"Hold on, I'll get Kukai. I have news."

"Finished throwing up, eh Hinamori?"

"Shut up, Kukai. Hold it while I get Nagihiko."

"Amu, how are you feeling?"

"Later. I have news. Let me get Yaya. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves."

"Amu-chan! How are you feeling? Yaya really thinks you should stop drinking that nasty stuff!"

Ignoring Yaya, Amu spoke, "Okay, is everyone here?"

Murmurs of "yeahs", "of course", and "you called us, idiot" could be heard.

"I heard you Rima. I'm not an idiot. Anyways, Utau has decided to grace herself with our presence and invited us to her concert in Las Vegas. I don't have all the details yet. You can ask Tadase for that when he gets it."

Amu held the phone away from her ears as shouts of excitement could be heard.

Nagihiko recovered first. "This is rare. All Utau usually cares about is singing. Why is she suddenly inviting us? She's never done so before."

"I think Tadase had to do something with it. You can ask him. When I asked, he gave me some crap excuse. He probably won't let you tell me though," Amu mused.

Rima, the voice of reason, spoke up, "Don't question good luck, fools."

(Kukai and Yaya were too busy screaming at each other to partake in the conversation, but let me assure you: they were excited.)

Amu then hung up on the conversation. She needed to sleep and she was too tired to be excited. Maybe after a few hours sleep, she would scream. After all, new places meant new adventures. And to Amu, _that _just meant crazy shit. And who doesn't love mentally ill excrement? Besides, there are just some things in her life that would just have to wait. Moping around was one of them. She didn't know when she would pick up this "hobby" again, but she hoped it wasn't anytime soon. Who has time for these things when they were going to a place where people loose money and marry suddenly. All this for no good reason…..

* * *

_OMG! It's Sunday now! So good? Bad? Claw your eyes out bad? Let me know. In the meanwhile, try to convince Heartbroken Confessions to stay. You'd be doing yourself a __**wonderful**__ favor. Sorry about all those author's notes, but, hey, I've been accused of having Tourette's Syndrome.(No offense meant to those with actual Tourette's) Stay tuned for the omake!

* * *

_

**Omake**

"Mr. Hotori, you're late," Professor Nameless drawled out in his famous monotone. "I expected better of you."

Tadase looked down like a little boy caught eating cookies before dinner. His face was a lovely shade of pink and he could not form coherent sentences.

"I ap-apo-apologize, Sensei. I had to go help my friend."

His sensei softened immediately. "What a good friend you are!!! A-plus for you!!"

_And that's how Tadase managed to pass all his classes. _


	6. Chapter 6

_**Yes, I'm a tiny bit late, but I have all the reasons in the world. Later on that. And yes, I know that the side story was total crack and had no plot development whatsoever, but hey, I write for fun. My version of fun has no rhyme or reason to it whatsoever. Now, something personal has happened this past week. My great-uncle died and I had to attend vigil and the funeral. I barely knew him, but it broke my heart to see his wife, my great- aunt, cry like that. He was a good man, and elderly. He was also sick for a long time, but it was still a shock to her when it happened. Like I said, I barely knew him, so condolences are not needed. About the story, I don't know how I'll proceed. Truth to told, I already forgot what the last chapter was about. Oh wells, I can always just say, "Oh, it's a flashback." or "I'm psychic and that's the future." later. I'll most likely check though. I think I got it now, but it's all a loop. OK!! I got it now. Thank gawd. On with it.**_

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, which I admit, is fun to own. (I stole that from Kitsuru.)** Fave it for plagiarism. **But seriously, don't hate me for that and check her out if you like the Bleach Ichihime pairing.

* * *

"Amu-chan! So nice to see you! It's been forever hasn't it? No it hasn't! It's been two months. Wait, that is forever! I missed you Amu-chan!" Yaya exclaimed as she managed to climb on top of her.

"Good to see you too Yaya-chan," Amu muffled from under Yaya's arm, where they held the petite girl in place. "You're not heavy, but Yaya, do you think that you could get off me?"

"But I just miss you so much! Why don't you ever call me? I almost died with impatience. Not really, but Yaya really missed you! Don't you miss Yaya?"

Amu couldn't help but smile at Yaya's third-person use and hugged her. "Of course Amu missed Yaya. Don't you know how hard it is not to? I've just been busy."

"Of course you've been. Yaya could keep trees from growing with the shadows under your eyes. How long did Amu-chan sleep last night?" she admonished sternly.

"Aren't you supposed to be the baby? I slept, Yaya-chan. Of course I did."

Yaya suspiciously narrowed her eyes. "Yaya didn't ask you if you slept. Yaya asked you how long you slept, and seeing how Amu-chan evaded the question, she knows it wasn't really long."

Amu sighed, "Well, don't just stand there. Come on in. What brings you to my humble abode?"

Yaya cocked her head to one side. "Nagehiko," she answered truthfully. "and Yaya needs her occasional dose of Amu."

Amu scowled, "Figures. I knew I shouldn't have drunken in front of him. Did he send you here?"

She shrugged, "Maybe, but I really did miss you."

Amu, noting her kouhai's serious phrasing, nodded. There would be time for questioning later, but they had some serious catching up to do.

* * *

"No way!" Amu screamed. " Someone actually tried to pass off 'looking hot naked' as a marketable talent?! The nuts you meet as a talent scout…seriously."

"He tried to prove it too. It was as if Yaya was defiled. Thank kami-sama my assistant knows how to deal with those nutbars," Yaya smiled innocently.

Amu giggled, "Poor Yaya-chan. Have some more ice cream. Ice cream fixes everything. Unless you're morbidly obese. Then stay away form ice cream. Seeing as you're not, have some more…"

"Thank you, Amu-chan. Seeing as you too are not morbidly obese, you should have some too."

Amu giggled yet again. "I _will _have some more, Yaya-chan. Why are we talking like this? Are we drunk off _ice cream?_ I don't know how that's possible."

Yaya raised her hand. "I know how Teacher. Ice cream is full of sugar. Sugar increases your endorphin levels, which is a feel-good chemical."

Amu stared wide-eyed at Yaya. "How do you know that?"

Yaya stared back. "I don't know…." Then she burst out laughing. "I'm drunk off ice cream!" she screamed out.

Amu joined in laughing. She didn't even know why she was laughing. Goodness, did someone pour alcohol into the ice cream? That's not good, Amu giggled to herself. Someone's out to get her liver…

With one last cackle, Yaya suddenly stopped laughing. Her usual happy disposition was replaced with a serious one. Her smile died on her lips. Amu looked over, still laughing, wondering why she was the only one laughing. One look at Yaya's face killed the laughter. _A serious Yaya is such a buzz kill_ Amu thought, sobering at once. _I should have hung out with her when I was in Vegas. _

Yaya hesitated, then started, "Amu-chan, We need to talk. Nagehiko told me about your drinking binge. I don't know why he called me and not Rima to beat the stupid out of you, but I'm stuck with this job."

Amu sniffed. "What am I, an angsty teenager? And what's with the tone? You would think I was as stubborn as….I don't really know any stubborn people," Amu admitted with a pause.

"That's not the point, Amu-chan. And yes you know some stubborn people. What about Utau? I think it's finally time we had _that_ conversation."

"Really? I think I don't need it anymore. I think I am quite over it. Actually there was never anything to get over in the first place," Amu nervously giggled, looking over Yaya's shoulder. "You know that, Yaya-chan. And Utau is not stubborn. She is a freaking immovable boulder cemented to the ground."

"Now, that's not the version of the story twenty-five seconds ago wasn't it?" Yaya raised an eyebrow. "You know very well that his leaving practically left you defective. And my point exactly."

_Damn, _Amu thought. _A serious Yaya makes for a smart one. Why did she ever grow up? She was so easy to distract when we were in elementary school._

"I still don't understand why we need to talk about it. I don't have a problem caused by that fool."

"You do. You're reckless and alcohol has made you stupid. Which is bad, seeing as you were never that smart to begin with," Yaya spoke candidly, frowning down at her. A feat, considering her height and Amu's.

Amu flinched. Ouch. _Serious makes for mean too, I guess. _

"Yes, I made you a promise. Seeing as that promise is still intact, we don't have to break out the CONVERSATION," Amu implored.

"Delusion seemed to have accompanied stupidity as alcohol invited it in," Yaya simpered. "Take a moment to recall what the promise really was."

* * *

**Flashback**

"_Amu-chan," Yaya called. "don't you think…..How does Yaya put this…… Don't you think that you're being a teensy weensy bit of a… downer?"_

_Amu stared at Yaya wide-eyed. "You call depression a downer? Don't you think that _you're _being a teensy weensy bit callous?"_

_Yaya shook her head energetically. "Not at all, Amu-chan. It's alright if it's the truth and if it's to help you."_

_Amu shook her head, this time slowly. "Yaya-chan is so mean these days. Okay. What do you want?"_

_Yaya beamed at Amu. "Yaya just knew that you'd come around, Amu-chan. I want to talk about Iku-"_

"_NO NO NO. There is so reason to. I'm functioning. There is no reason to bring him up. It's been a year since he left and I haven't killed myself yet."_

_Yaya cocked her head. "But that's not Yaya's definition of functioning, Amu-chan. You're living, but you're not operating properly. You seriously need to talk about it."_

_Amu sighed, "No I don't. Wouldn't you rather finish watching _Naruto_?"_

_Yaya scowled. "Yaya saw this episode already. Sausuke wins and joins Akatsuki. Big deal. We need to talk about you."_

"_There's nothing to talk about!" Amu was about to burst with frustration. "Why can't everyone see that I'm perfectly fine."_

_Yaya pretended to think. "Oh, Yaya doesn't know. Maybe it's because we have eyes and know how to use them. Maybe it's because we're not high or drunk. Maybe because it's obvious? Or maybe because you're not as fine as you tricked yourself into thinking you are?"_

"_Can't you trust that I'll talk to you when I _really _need it?" Amu begged._

_Yaya rolled this thought around her surprisingly bright mind. "Okay. Promise me you'll-we'll-talk about it when I find it appropriate."_

_Amu looked as stuck as she really was. "There really is no way with you, is there Yaya-chan? I agree."_

_Yaya beamed at Yaya once more. "Glad you see the error of your ways."_

**End Flashback

* * *

**

"Pay attention to the last line of the promise. Notice how it states that I get to decide if you're over the edge yet? Well, dear, today's your lucky day!"

"Damn depression. Keeps you from paying attention," Amu muttered.

Yaya laughed. "Sure. Now you've got to face the facts. You're a drunk. You're not even a nice drunk. You're like one of those drunks who go around insulting strangers' mothers and trying to con people."

"Nice, Yaya-chan. Just what every friend needs to hear."

"It's for your own good, Amu-chan," she continued. "You have to accept the fact that Ikuto could be coming back today or two years from now, or even never. Stop living in the past. It's well, depressing."

Like clockwork, tears started down Amu's face as soon as his name was mentioned. Ignoring this, Amu scowled. "I can't promise you anything."

Reverting back to her usual personality, Yaya said, "Yaya knows just what you need. Yaya knows the cutest guy in her company. It'll be a date."

"I'm not sure I'm ready."

"He's not for you; he's for me. You get his third cousin once removed."

Amu cocked her head, emulating Yaya. "So what does that make him? I've never been good with genealogy."

Yaya made a face Amu made not long ago. "You think that Yaya knows? They're related and that's all that matters."

By now they both had the same face on. "Agreed, but don't think that I'll make an effort."

Yaya smirked at this, "Don't worry Amu-chan. You won't need to. You're coming to the office and meeting our makeup artist and stylist before the meeting. Yaya assured Cute Guy that you were hot, and Yaya is not about to be called a liar."

"Since when was sweet little Yaya-chan turned into a mastermind? I sorely miss the innocent her."

Yaya blinked at this. "What do you mean Amu-chan? Yaya was always this way."

Amu frowned. "No you weren't. You used to be such a whiner. Now look at you. Such a controlling attitude."

Yaya rolled her eyes at this. "It's not Yaya's fault Amu-chan is so naïve. Now, let's finish this ice cream."

Amu smiled wanely. "No thanks. I'm so over….what is this?…soy sauce? Why did we buy this again?"

Yaya grimaced that this. "Explains the taste. Yaya just grabbed the first carton she saw. Maybe the ice cream turned into liquor. That's why we were so drunk!"

Amu coughed out a laugh. "That's only with grapes or something. Let's go grab another flavor. They have girl scout cookie flavor. I've been wanting that one. Especially now, since I just ate soy sauce ice cream."

"Yaya was fine with it. Amu-chan is going to pay."

"Penny-pincher."

"Yaya knows this."

* * *

Amu sighed for what seemed for the twenty-third time this hour. It was starting to turn into a cliché in her life. She should buy a thesaurus and look up "sigh" and do those instead. It was better that repeating something every three minutes. Amu believed she had good reason to sigh. Or exhale. Or sough or whatever. She had spent the past hour, beside sighing, sitting in a chair letting the makeup artist paint her face. _What is the point of an actual face if you're going to be covering it with makeup? _Amu ventured an open eye. _More like face paint now. Gosh, I look like someone smashed my face against a kogal's and it rubbed off. _Not that it didn't look good. It was just a bit on the _heavy _side. She must've gained ten pounds on her face!

"Excuse me….but don't you think this is a bit much for dinner?" Amu asked.

Her makeup artist looked up from painting her face to stare. Then realization struck. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm used to doing people about to go on camera. You need to really slap it on if you don't want the lights to make you look like a ghost. I'll take some off right now!"

Amu chuckled. "Hope you have a spatula. You'll need it to take the top fifteen layers off."

Another hour later and sixteen makeup wipes later, Amu emerged, looking the same, but at the same time, not. The artist had cleaned off most of the makeup of her face before starting anew. Her cheekbones and nose was contoured and her lips glossed, but not before being lined and covered with lipstick. _What effort to appear natural_ she wryly thought. _I think she stuck false lashes on me somewhere in there. _She had also applied liberal amounts of mascara, so Amu was now concentrating on not rubbing her eyes. She wouldn't want to look like a raccoon, would she? The eye makeup was natural, applied to enhance, not hide. That meant white eyeshadow on the inner corners of her eyes and white eyeliner on her waterline. She winced, remembering the application of that particular part. Amu keep flinching, afraid her eye would be poked out by the pencil. It was finally on after the artist showed her how soft it was and telling her it probably wouldn't even poke through gelatin, much less her eye. Her lids were done simply. Standard black eyeliner on top and a bronze shadow on the outer "v". Amazing what you would learn by listening to a makeup artist chatter to herself.

She had already visited the stylist with Yaya. (She was off with another make up artist right now.) Yaya and the stylist had picked out the outfit she was wearing now, with full assurance she could keep them afterwards. (Amu balked. She had seen these clothes in her magazines and they did not come cheap.) Considering the weather, Amu was dressed in a light buttercup yellow kimono-style dress paired with cork sandals. A long large-beaded necklace looped twice around her neck finished the look.

"Is Amu-chan ready?" Yaya asked. Dressed in a white drop-waist jersey dress with camo greenwool tights and tan flat suede boots, she looked like the epitome of innocence.

Amu grinned mockingly up at Yaya. "What do you think?"

"Yaya thinks that she's hungry and they should get going if they don't want to be late."

"Then I'm _ah-viously_ ready."

* * *

_Yes, yes. Everyone is basically OOC, but that's the point of fan fiction: to interpret the characters in your way. In my opinion anyways. The makeup tip above? They really work. The white eyeshadow and eyeline help brighten up your eyes, making them look bigger. The outer "v" is the part of your eyes on the outside. It goes from your upper outer lash line to the crease when you open your eyes. A dark shadow there will give your eyes depth and make them look bigger (again). Don't forget to blend! And apply more gloss to the bottom lip to make it look bigger. Anything that reflects light makes things bigger. That's why black is so slimming. Ack! This is not a makeup forum. Anyways, enjoy the tips and review. I think this story is going to be around ten chapters, not counting the side story. How many do I have now? Five? Damn. _

_P.S._

_Excuse my typos. I know I have some that I couldn't fix because I wrote it and I don't need to really read it five more times looking for mistakes. And I don't really understand/didn't check out the concept of beta readers yet. I'll check on it when I upload this chapter.  
_


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